Cooling tower sump



1967 J. B. GREENFIELD 3,352,545

COOLING TOWER SUMP Filed May 16, 1966 INVENTOR JOHN B. GREENFIELD ATTORNEYS United States Patent ()fi ice 3,352,545 Patented Nov. 14, 1367 3,352,546 COOLING TOWER SUMP John B. Greenfield, Jackson, MlCh., assignor to Acme Industries, Inc., Jackson, Mich, a corporation of Delaware Filed May 16, 1966, Ser. No. 550,307 7 Claims. (Cl. 261-111) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A sump for cooling tower devices formed of a single blank of sheet material wherein selected portions of the sheet are so deformed to permit the sump to have a funnel-shaped configuration and utilizing an outlet opening at the lowermost central portion of the sump.

Heat exchangers of the liquid-gas contact type, such as used in air-conditioning system cooling towers or evaporative condensers, achieve a high degree of efIiciency by employing a dispersed liquid flow in a downward direction, usually over flow plates, wherein air is either forced upwardly in a counterflow direction relative to the water flow, or is forced horizontally in a crossflow relationship to the water. After the water engages the air, the heat exchanger apparatus employs a sump in the lower portion of the apparatus to collect the water for recycling purposes, or for distribution into the system, depending upon the particular type of system with which the heat exchanger is employed. In the past, it has been the common practice to form the sump of this type of heat exchanger as a rectangular receptacle having an open upper portion into which the water falls after leaving the distribution and dispersion flow plates. An outlet pipe or fitting is usually welded to the sump adjacent the bottom wall thereof for removing water from the sump.

The conventional rectangular sump employed with the aforedescribed type heat exchanger has several distinct disadvantages. The rectangular form requires a rather expensive fabrication process wherein sheet metal must be cut, bent and Welded. Usually, such conventional rectangular sumps are made from fiat, notched sheets of steel wherein the sides are bent upwardly to form a box and the corners welded. The required drain outlets or pipe connections are then welded to holes cut in the sump and the entire assembly is usually galvanized by a hot dip process to resist corrosion. Such rectangular sumps employ vertically disposed walls and, thus, a considerable amount of water is required in the sump to prevent vortexing at the sump drain. Also, due to the perpendicular sides of the sump, heat exchangers which are subjected to freezing temperatures must be drained to prevent damage to the sump.

It is an object of the invention to provide a heat exchanger employing a liquid-receiving sump wherein the sump is of a polyhedron configuration formed of one piece of plate material, and no welding or surface treatment, such as galvanizing, is required during fabrication, in that the sump may be formed of a previously galvanized or plated sheet.

Another object of the invention is to provide a heat exchanger with a sump of polyhedron configuration having sides which converge downwardly in a tapered configuration toward the center of the sump, a drain being located at the lowermost portion of the sump.

A further object of the invention is to provide a heat exchanger having a sump wherein the sump is formed of a single piece of plate material to a polyhedron shape and wherein a minimum of water is required in the sump to prevent vortexing, thereby reducing the total weight of the heat exchanger during operation, which is an important feature should the heat exchanger be mounted on a building roof top, as is the common practice.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a heat exchanger having a sump wherein the sump is of such a configuration as to reduce water splash outside the heat exchanger as the sump wall configuration deflects splashing toward the center of the sump, and wherein the configuration of the sump assures excellent water-mixing characteristics and minimizes erratic water temperatures within the sump.

A further object of the invention is to provide a heat exchanger employing a sump wherein the sump permits positive drainage for winter storage or cleaning, and incorporates an outlet at the lowermost portion of the sump for maximum use of the available water head.

Another object of the invention is to provide a heat exchanger having a sump wherein the sump is of a polyhedron, tapered configuration which eliminates the danger of damage to the sump in the event the water within freezes.

These and other objects of the invention will be apparent from the relationships and details of the components of an embodiment thereof as set forth in the following description and accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a heat exchanger in accord with the invention, the panel toward the viewer being removed for purposes of illustration,

FIG. 2 is a plan View of a sump constructed in accord with the invention prior to the peripheral flanges being bent downwardly,

FIG. 3 is an elevational view of a sump in accord with the invention,

FIG. 4 is a sectional, elevational view as taken along section IV1V of FIG. 2, but after the peripheral flanges have been formed to their final position,

FIG. 5 is an enlarged, elevational, sectional view of a corner section as taken along section V-V of FIG. 2, and

FIG. 6 is an enlarged, detailed, elevational, sectional view as taken along section VI-VI of FIG. 2.

A typical arrangement of components of a heat exchanger in accord with the invention is shown in FIG. 1. The components are mounted within a housing 19 constituting a support structure which includes vertically disposed side walls or panels 12, an end wall 14, and an upper and top panel 16. The end panel disposed toward the viewer is removed to illustrate the arrangement of the components in the interior of the housing. The top panel 16 is formed with an opening 18, and a fan, not shown, may be disposed immediately below the opening to force air therethrough in an upward direction. One or both of the end panels are provided with air inlet means, such as grille 20, disposed toward the lower regions of the housing whereby air may enter the lower portion of the housing. A plurality of liquid-dispersing flow plates 22 are mounted within the housing in a vertical manner and horizontally spaced from each other to form air channels through which air drawn into the housing through the grille 20 may pass up through the flow plates 22 and out through the opening 18. The flow plates 22 are usually provided with a plurality of horizontally disposed ridges for dispersing the stream of water which flows down over the plates. Spacing protuberances 24 may be employed to maintain the proper spacing between adjacent plates. The plates 22 may be of the type shown in the assignees United States Patent 2,977,103.

Water distribution means 26 are mounted in the upper region of the housing 10 for distributing water onto the plates 22 during operation of the heat exchanger. The water distribution device may be of any conventional form whereby a relatively uniform amount of water is distributed over the plates so that all of the air flowing between the plates 22 will be subjected to contact with the water flowing thereover.

After the water has run down the vertical dimension of the plates 22, the water falls into the sump 28 mounted in the lower region of the housing 10.

In accord with the invention, the sump 28 is of a polyhedron configuration having tapered sides and a drain opening located at the lowermost portion of the sump, i.e., the sump center. Preferably, the sump 28 is formed from a rectangular homogeneous piece of galvanized steel sheet, such as 16 gauge. The drain opening 30 is formed in the center of the plate and the corners thereof are notched in a manner which will be apparent from FIG. 2 to form edges 32 and edges 34. The edges 36 of the blank define the periphery of the sump.

After forming the opening 30 and the notches defined by edges 32 and 34, the planar blank from which the sump is formed is placed in a brake press and the sections 38 of the sump blank, extending from the corners thereof to the center opening, are formed to define an inverted V-configuration, as will be apparent from FIGS. and 6.

The sections 38 extending from the corners of the sump to the center thereof are each formed of portions 40 which intersect at a radius 42 and which extend from the sump wall portions 44 and 46. The sections 38 and portions 40 are each of a triangular configuration, FIG. 2, decreasing in the vertical dimension from the corner of the sump toward the center. Thus, the configuration of the sections 38 decreases in the horizontal dimension as well as the vertical dimension from the corner of the sump toward the center, producing a configuration which will be apparent from FIGS. 1, 5 and 6. Throughout the length of the sections 38, the relative angular relationship between portions 40 of a common section is constant. The center of the sump 28 is significantly lower than the peripheral edges 36 and the four triangularly shaped wall portions 44 defined converge in a downward direction toward the drain opening 30. Due to the configuration of the sections 38, the wall portions 44 will be planar in form and the funnel or dish shape of the sump will result without requiring cutting, notching, or rewelding of the material of the sump.

Flanges 48 are defined sump between the corners thereof. longitudinally defined by the edges 32 and are of a linear configuration. The flanges are bent downwardly, FIG. 4, and holes 50 are defined therein for permitting the sump to be affixed to the housing structure, such as panels 12 and 14 by fasteners 51, for mounting the sump within the housing.

A drain outlet fitting, such as an elbow 52, is, preferably, bolted to the center of the sump 28 by bolts 54 and a sealed connection established thereto by employing appropriate gaskets. A conduit, not shown, is atfixed to the elbow 52 for conveying the water from the sump.

If desired, a screen 56, FIG. 1, may be placed within the sump and a float 58, associated with an inlet valve mechanism generally indicated at 60, may be used to maintain a predetermined level of water within the sump.

In that the sump 28 may be formed from a previously galvanized sheet of steel and as the elbow 52 is fastened to the drain opening by bolts or the like, it is not necessary to regalvanize the sump after it is formed. As only bending operations are employed in forming the sections 38, no damage will occur to the galvanized protective layer originally placed on the sheet blank from which the on the peripheral edges of the The flanges 48 are sump is formed.

4 within the sump which prevents vortexing at the drain. Locating the sump outlet at the center of the sump provides good water mixing, and the tapered configuration of the walls 44 prevents ice which should form within the sump from damaging the sump walls.

Rather than forming the section portions 38 upwardly relative to the associated Wall portions 44, it is within .the scope of the invention to form the portions 40 downwardly to define V-shaped configurations, rather than an inverted V-shaped configuration. Of course, the purpose of the sections 38 is to take up the metal forming the sump to permit the desired funnel-shaped configuration to be formed, and it has been found that the preferred construction is that shown in the drawings.

It is appreciated that modification of the inventive concept may be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and it is intended that the invention be defined only by the following claims.

I claim:

1. In combination with heat exchanger apparatus utilizing means for flowing a dispersed liquid stream downwardly, with said liquid, a vertically disposed support structure having a lower portion, a sump mounted within the lower portion of said support structure vertically below said dispersed liquid stream to receive the same, said sump including a peripheral edge and a center and formed of a one-piece sheet of bendable material, a plurality of formed sections of deformed sheet material defined in said sheet, each of said sections comprising a pair of intersecting sheet portions each having a vertical dimension and a longitudinal dimension, each of said sections extending from the peripheral edge of said sump to substantially the center thereof, the portions comprising a common section converging to intersect with each other in the direction of the vertical dimension and decreasing in vertical dimension toward the center of said sump forming said sump into a funnel-like shape, generally tri mounting holes defined in flange and fasteners extending through said mounting holes afiixing said sump flange to said support structure.

3. In a combination as in claim 1, wherein said sump peripheral edge is of a generally rectangular configuration having corners defined at the intersection of adacent linear peripheral edge portions, said formed sections extending from each of said corners to substantially the center of said sump.

4. In a combination as in claim 1, wherein said formed sections are of an inverted V-shaped configuration, the vertical dimension of the portions of a common section uniformly decreasing from said peripheral edge toward the center of said sump.

5. In a combination as in claim 4, wherein said sump peripheral edge is of a generally rectangular configuration having corners defined at the intersection of adacent linear peripheral edge portions, said formed sections extending from each of said corners to substantially the center of said sump.

6. In a combination as in claim 1, wherein said sump peripheral edge is of a generally rectangular configuragas inlet means for introducing a gas into contact 5 thereof defining four triangularly shaped sump wall portions, said wall portions being obliquely related to the horizontal and converging toward the sump center.

7. In a combination as in claim 6 wherein vertically disposed flanges are defined on said peripheral edge linear portions and fasteners connecting said flanges to said support structure.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 6 Cline 261-108 XR Waters 93-49 Swaine 9351 Cheeley 22062 Paugh.

FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain.

10 HARRY 13. THORNTON, Prz'rhary Examiner.

R. R. WEAVER, Examiner. 

1. IN COMBINATION WITH HEAT EXCHANGER APPARATUS UTILIZING MEANS FOR FLOWING A DISPERSED LIQUID STREAM DOWNWARDLY, GAS INLET MEANS FOR INTRODUCING A GAS INTO CONTACT WITH SAID LIQUID, A VERTICALLY DISPOSED SUPPORT STRUCTURE HAVING A LOWER PORTION, A SUMP MOUNTED WITHIN THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID SUPPORT STRUCTURE VERTICALLY BELOW SAID DISPERSED LIQUID STREAM TO RECEIVE THE SAME, SAID SUMP INCLUDING A PERIPHERAL EDGE AND A CENTER AND FORMED OF A ONE-PIECE SHEET OF BENDABLE MATERIAL, A PLURALITY OF FORMED SECTIONS OF DEFORMED SHEET MATERIAL DEFINED IN SAID SHEET, EACH OF SAID SECTIONS COMPRISING A PAIR OF INTERSECTING SHEET PORTIONS EACH HAVING A VERTICAL DIMENSION AND A LONGITUDINAL DIMENSION, EACH OF SAID SECTIONS EXTENDING FROM THE PERIPHERAL EDGE OF SAID SUMP TO SUBSTANTIALLY THE CENTER THEREOF, THE PORTIONS COMPRISING A COMMON SECTION CONVERGING TO INTERSECT WITH EACH OTHER IN THE DIRECTION OF THE VERTICAL DIMENSION AND DECREASING IN VERTICAL DIMENSION TOWARD THE CENTER OF SAID SUMP FORMING SAID SUMP INTO A FUNNEL-LIKE SHAPE, GENERALLY TRIANGULAR SHAPED WALL PORTIONS EXTENDING BETWEEN EACH OF SAID FORMED SHEET SECTION AND CONVERGING TOWARD THE CENTER OF SAID SUMP, SAID SUMP CENTER BEING VERTICALLY RELATED BELOW SAID PERIPHERAL EDGE, AND A DRAIN OUTLER DEFINED IN SAID SHEET MATERIAL FORMING SAID SUMP AT SAID SUMP CENTER. 